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Ryan S
Retired Sonos Staff
October 2, 2017

Now Available, the New Sonos App

Related content:Software



Sonos version 8.0 is introducing a brand new controller for iOS and Android. The new Sonos app makes it even easier to navigate, access, and control your music throughout your home. This new app comes side by side with voice control through Alexa devices, more about that here.

Check out our blog for the Remastered Sonos App. Full details on the new apps can be found here on their respective product guide pages. Let’s take a look at the new app:



Introducing Navigation with Tabs:


The Sonos app now has five tabs visible at the bottom when not in the full playing screen. The tabs are My Sonos, Browse, Rooms, Search, and More. See here:



Now your most used options are available with just one click, and Now Playing is always just one tap away.

My Sonos
We’ve consolidated all your personally curated Sonos Playlists, music service playlists, and Sonos Favorites into one, easy to use page on the Sonos app. You can edit fields to move around the order, or delete them entirely. You can now have up to 40 favorites total, up from 32.

Browse
Browsing your music is even easier as it no longer hides your other options. You can browse and move to different rooms all while keeping your place in the browsing menu. There’s also a dock on the bottom of the app that gives you easy access to the navigation tabs. You can swipe it up to reveal it at any time, then back down. We’ve separated browsing your music and the menu for Settings, so it’s even easier to find what you’re looking for.

Rooms
The menu starts highlighted on the active room, featured right on the app so that it’s even easier to see what’s playing in each room. There’s now an icon on that screen to show you where the music is coming from too. That includes if it was started by Alexa. The active room has a Group button to have it add others to the party.

Search
It hasn’t changed, just moved to an easy to find spot.

More...
All the settings and options are in here. You can add services, make alarms, get some help, and access all your settings. We think this will make it a lot easier to find what you’re looking for. And speaking of settings…


Explicit Language Filtering


Within Settings > Parental Controls, you can set a system-wide setting to filter songs with explicit content. Right now, this is working for Apple Music, and we’re hoping to add it for more services soon. Once the setting is on, Apple Music songs with the explicit tag will no longer play on your system.

Long Press to Group


Making it even easier to play music. With 8.0, you can press and hold the Play/Pause button (or mute on older players) to have your player join the most recently active player as a group. First, you have to start playing music on a player, (it can be from an alarm or any other source), and then just hold the button for a few seconds on another player. That second player will join the first one’s group and start playing the same music in sync.

There's another function of the long press, and that's being able to move recently stopped music to another room. First, stop playing music in any of your rooms. Then, press and hold the play/pause on another player for a few seconds. (Make sure that you don't start playing music anywhere else.) The queue or source will move to the unit you held the button for and start playing. The players won't group together and any existing queue will get whiped out in place of the new one.

iOS 11 and Android O Support


Lastly, version 8.0 has support for the latest operating systems from Android and iOS. This includes iOS 11 support for Trueplay on Sonos. Trueplay isn’t available on Android at this time.
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527 replies

Contributor III
November 1, 2017
This newest 8.1.1 is a mess! The room volumes have gone haywire, turn themselves on and go to full volume independently! Arrrghhh!!
Ryan S
Ryan SAuthor
Retired Sonos Staff
November 1, 2017
This newest 8.1.1 is a mess! The room volumes have gone haywire, turn themselves on and go to full volume independently! Arrrghhh!!
We'd love to take a look at that with you. Have you had a chance to give us a call on our support line?

@Ryan S - Can you please show the change log for version 8.1 of the app?
There's an announcement for version 8.1, but largely it's the software for the Sonos One. It teaches your system what that product is and how to work with it. There aren't any changes for the app in that build.

I don't think that's true Ryan. Someone in the house has updated the controller to 8.1 and now I cannot use the v7.4 app on my android phone. Count this as barely contained rage that I will have to use the appalling new app. When are we going to get some proper feedback about when we can expect a formal upgrade/rollback to a decent app? You have completely broken a system that I loved and recommended to all - neither of those now apply. I have a Play:5 2nd Gen, Play:1 x 3 and Connect, so a reasonable investment.

That's indirectly related. Old versions of the Sonos app generally don't work with devices running software beyond one version away from that build. The team's working on some changes for the controller too, so stay tuned for that soon. We're making sure to share your feedback.
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Lyricist I
November 2, 2017
Will there be a return to the darker background? If not, I intend to ditch my Sonos gear and purchase something else from a company who actually listens to their end users concerns. I won’t be recommending Sonos to anyone else either. Got to be honest, probably the worst company I’ve ever encountered.
Trending Lyricist I
November 2, 2017
Figured I'd just chime in here vs a new thread, but the 8.1.1 update that came out this afternoon ha been messing with my 3 new Ones. Music will play from Spotify half songs, cut off, wait about 10 seconds then just start the next song. been happening for approx 4 hours. I know there's a lot of complaints floating around about alexa and the new speakers but this is just core functionality that I wasn't having issues with on 8.1.0
Lyricist II
November 2, 2017
8028471 I agree the new app interface is horrible. Worse is 8.1 has my entire system unusable. I am a long time sonos user and have had relatively few problems in the past. Occasionally having to disconnect and reconnect everything, but nothing like this. Support response has been to ask for additional diagnostic (because items had dropped from system, no kidding) and then silence. Surprising how much not having music for 4 days effects mood and how frustrating Sonos response (lack there of has been). Quickly going from a favorite brand to a I can not recommend it brand.
Guy_19
Enthusiast II
November 2, 2017
Recommend tweeting to @Patrick_Spence as he is the CEO, not that he responds... 😞
7 rooms: One SL Stereo Pair, One SL x 2, Move, Play:5 Gen2 & Port into Arcam AVR with AE floorstanders, Port into Denon microsystem.
Avid Contributor I
November 2, 2017
Anyone know how to avoid logging in everytime you want to change a speaker set up? My surround sound playones regularly drop and it's irritating that this extra step has been added to the process of adding them back in.

The new app looks nicer. Seems faster. I do find navigation more difficult. I had hoped I'd have adapted to it by now but hasn't happened yet.

Is there a night mode coming?
nicka99
Local Superstar
November 2, 2017
Anyone know how to avoid logging in everytime you want to change a speaker set up? My surround sound playones regularly drop and it's irritating that this extra step has been added to the process of adding them back in.


huh ? what do you mean 'regularly drop' ? Surround speakers are not visible within the app as they are just part of the 'room' containing the playbar/playbase. If they are somehow disconnecting themselves from this room setup then I suggest that you contact Sonos support for a proper investigation & solution rather than adding them again as new speakers as it suggests a broader problem.
binh25
Avid Contributor I
November 2, 2017
Bad mistake upgrading to 8, the new interface is horrible and hard to navigate give us option to go back to the old interface
Lyricist I
November 2, 2017
Just downloaded the "bug fix" patch and it wiped out all of my connections. Now I am unable to add my Plays back into the network. Did anyone test this fix, because it sucks. Now I'm regretting not going with another product, and might as well since I can't get these back online.